Following in Their Footsteps
by jsdhgladjsfkhg
Summary: Sequel to "Twist of Fate". Second generation fic. Centers around Troy Gabriella Chad and Taylor's kids.
1. Prologue

**Ok, everyone. This is the sequel to my first story "Twist of Fate". If you haven't read that one yet, do it now:) **

* * *

"Night, Lilabean," Gabriella said, leaning over to kiss her six year old daughter on the forehead.

"Night, mama," she answered.

"Goodnight, babydoll," Troy said as he tucked his daughter into bed. "I love you."

"I love you more," she said with a grin.

"I love you most," he answered before completing their nightly ritual by placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. After lying in bed talking and cuddling for a while they went to bed as well.

Hours later their slumber was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Troy sat up and turned on bedside lamp. The clock read three o'clock. That could only mean one thing. He and Gabriella exchanged worried glances before he answered the phone.

"Hello…?"

* * *

Gabriella and Troy stood silently on the doorstep waiting for an answer. Troy was holding Lila, who was sound asleep. They had just received the call they had been dreading. A porch light flicked on seconds before the door opened.

"Come on in," Taylor said solemnly. She had bags under her bloodshot eyes and her cheeks were streaked with tears. Once they were inside, she quietly shut the door and ushered them into a small dimly lit room down the hall. The room was filled with all kinds of medical equipment surrounding a bed with crisp white sheets.

"Hey, Chad," Troy said softly as he approached the bed. He fought to hold back tears at the sight of his best friend. He was in terrible shape. It was obvious that he didn't have much time left.

Chad's eyes fluttered open. "Hey," he said in a raspy, barely audible voice.

"Hey, Slick," Gabriella said as she joined Troy at the bedside. Chad gave a weak smile. He gave himself a new nickname when the chemotherapy made him lose all his hair.

Silence overcame the room, as nobody knew what to say. "Thanks," Chad finally said. "For being here."

"No," Troy said. "Thank _you_ for being there and being a friend all these years."

"You really think we would miss this?" Gabriella asked as the tears she was trying to hold back spilled over. "I love you, Chad." She leaned over and gave him a hug and a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Two years earlier, he had been diagnosed with the late stages of cancer. He underwent all the chemo and radiation, but it was too progressed for the treatments to work. When it became clear that his time on earth was coming to an end, he decided that he wanted to pass in the comfort of his own home surrounded by the ones he loved. He and Taylor chose to hire a home nurse to take care of him and make him as comfortable as possible until the time came.

"You, too," Chad whispered as Taylor walked back into the room holding a very sleepy little boy. She set him down on the bed next to him just as Lila started to wake up.

"Hey, daddy," he said rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, Junior."

"What's going on?" he asked. "Why is everyone here?"

"Well, you know how daddy's been really sick?" Taylor asked, not sure how to break the news to their son. He nodded. "Well, he's not going to get any better. He's getting sicker."

"Is he going to heaven now?" he asked innocently.

A lump caught in her throat. "Yes, baby."

The boy, Chadrick Jacob Danforth Jr., otherwise known as Junior, looked to his father. "Daddy?"

"Unca Chad?" Lila asked sadly.

"Come here," he said weakly patting the bed next to him. "You, too," he said to Lila. The children each lay next to him and cuddled into his sides. "I want to tell you two something," he began in a frail raspy voice. "Do you know what's out there? Past the doors and windows?" They shook their heads. "It's the world, and you're going to be a part of it someday… It's going to teach you something every day… You'll make mistakes and you'll make friends… Your mommy will probably tell you every embarrassing or stupid thing I've ever done… Maybe you'll meet a woman as wonderful as your mom… Maybe you've already met her…" He looked from Junior to Lila and back again. "Maybe you'll have friendships like ours and the Bolton's… But when you're not a little boy anymore… When the world has taught you to be a man… You'll still make mistakes… but… your family and the friends you made along the way… will help you… Even though… it seems the world… is going out of its way… to… teach you these hard lessons… you'll realize it's the same world… that gave you your family… and your friends… You're going to learn… that the world… will protect you… too… And even though… it may seem… that I'm not there… to see you… growing up… I'll be watching you… every day… of your life… Just remember… Daddy… loves… you… You… too… Lilabean," he finished with heaving labored breaths.

"Ok, daddy. I love you, too," Junior replied.

"I love you, too, Unca Chad," Lila said sweetly, batting her eyes at him.

Taylor, Troy and Gabriella all had tears streaming down their faces. They couldn't believe it had come to this. They had all been clinging to the little shred of hope that he would turn around and make a full recovery.

Troy laced his fingers through Gabriella's and gave her hand a squeeze while Taylor leaned over Chad and he whispered something in her ear. She nodded and gave a small smile before placing a soft lingering kiss on his lips.

"I… love… you… guys," Chad whispered.

"We love you, too," Troy said taking his best friend's hand in his own.

The room became silent except for Chad's labored wheezing. He gave each person one last loving look before closing his eyes and taking his last breath.

* * *

**So...? What do you think? Leave me some reviews and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 1

**I'm glad everyone likes it so far! The chapters of this story aren't going to be as long as the chapters of "Twist of Fate". Actually, the whole story will probably be much shorter. Anyways, here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it!**

* * *

"Come on in," Gabriella said opening the front door for Taylor and Junior who were huddled under an umbrella. "It sure is coming down out there," she said as they hurried in.

Taylor nodded. "Every year without fail," she said closing the umbrella and kicking her wet shoes off. Junior kicked his off as well and headed down the hall to Lila's room.

Gabriella walked into the kitchen returning to cooking the pancakes, singing as she worked. "There's holes in the floor of heaven, and his tears are pouring down. That's how you know he's watching, wishing he could be here now."

Taylor smiled at her best friend's voice. "Eleven years," she said with a sigh.

"It's hard to believe," Gabriella replied. "It seems like only yesterday he was healthy as can be."

It had been eleven years since Chad passed away. Every year on the anniversary the families spent the day together. First they had pancakes for breakfast, then they went to the rock quarry for a swim and a picnic. After that, they looked at old yearbooks and pictures and watched home movies until they fell asleep. Taylor and Junior stayed the night at the Bolton's house and went home after eating leftover pancakes the next morning. It started the year after he died because Taylor didn't want to be alone, but ended up becoming tradition. It had actually become one of their favorite days of the year.

The sound of Lila and Junior laughing down the hall brought the women out of their thoughts. "Sometimes I wonder if he really remembers him at all," Taylor said sadly as tears filled her eyes. "He says he does, but I don't think he has any of his own memories. Just what he sees in pictures and on the videos and hears in our stories."

"They were young when it happened, Tay," Gabriella said sympathetically. "And at least he has the pictures and videos and all our stories, you know?"

She sighed again. "I guess so."

"Hey, Taylor," Troy said, entering the room. "Mmm. Smells good," he said giving Gabriella a kiss on the cheek as he pulled out a mug to pour himself some coffee. "Where's Junior?"

"With Lila, where else?" Taylor answered with a smile.

"Should we worry about them?" he asked thoughtfully.

"I don't think so," Gabriella answered.

"Bri, they are sixteen. It didn't even take _us_ this long to get together. You know as well as I do that Chad would have been playing match maker by now."

"We need to stay out of it," Taylor said. "You know how stubborn and hard headed they both are. If we get involved they will only fight it even more. I see the way she looks at him. It's only a matter of time now."

"But-"

"Just give it time," Gabriella said, cutting him off. "If they still haven't figured it out after graduation next year, _then_ we'll worry." She put the last of the pancakes on the wire rack and put the hot skillet in the sink. "Breakfast is ready!" she yelled down the hallway.

As she carried the platter to the table Lila and Junior came tearing down the hallway laughing and shoving each other trying to get to the table first to get the warmest of the pancakes.

"Ladies first," Taylor scolded her son.

"Mom!" Junior groaned. Lila laughed and stuck out her tongue at him as she grabbed the freshest pancakes from the top of the pile. "Next time, Bolton, you won't be so lucky," he teased.

"Wow," Troy laughed. "How old are you two?" He studied the pair while everyone filled their plates. Junior was sure an appropriate name for the boy. He was practically his father's clone. From his wacky personality to his puffy, curly hair, there was no denying he was his father's son. Lila on the other hand, was the spitting image of her mother. Her tan skin, dark curly hair, attitude and spunk were all Gabriella. The only exception was the pair of electric blue eyes she got from him. Both kids had inherited the love of basketball from their fathers.

"So, Gabriella, when is your next show?" Taylor asked as they ate. After their high school graduation, Gabriella started school to become an interior designer, but quickly realized it wasn't what she wanted. She took a risk and invested most of her inheritance in starting her own boutique specializing in formal wear. The risk paid off and her gowns were now some of the most sought after in the southwest, with their popularity quickly growing.

"Next weekend," she replied. "It's time to show off the new colors for fall and a couple new designs. Lila, you can work in the back, right?"

"Yeah," Lila answered. Whenever Gabriella had fashion shows she paid Lila to work behind the scenes keeping the dresses and the models in order and making sure everything ran smoothly. Gabriella offered her a job working in the store, but she turned it down because she didn't want to dress up everyday. She was a tomboy. Not only did she feel incredibly uncomfortable and ridiculous when she was in anything other than a tee shirt and jeans, but she didn't have any nice clothes to wear even if she wanted to work there.

"What about Emma?" Gabriella asked. Emma was Lila's best girl friend. She worked as a model for the shows. Gabriella often wondered why the pair was friends since they were polar opposites. Lila was the captain of the girl's basketball team and loved nothing more than to get rough and sweaty in a good game, while Emma was a cheerleader and loved clothes, makeup and getting her nails done.

"Yes, mom," Lila said in an annoyed tone. They had been over this a million times already.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's just that there's a lot riding on this show. A writer from a big magazine is going to be there and it will get me a lot of publicity. I just hope everything goes well and it's _good_ publicity."

"Mom, it will be fine. It always is."

* * *

"Hey, pop," Junior said to Troy later that evening when they were all looking at old pictures. "I thought fourteen was _your_basketball number."

"It was," Troy replied.

"So why is my mom wearing a shirt with a fourteen on it?" he asked turning the picture so everyone else could see it. It was a picture of Taylor at school the day of the state championship their junior year of high school wearing a 'Bolton' jersey Troy got her for Christmas.

Troy took the picture and handed it to Taylor. They never told the kids that they swapped partners. It's not that they were hiding it from them; it had just never come up before.

"Oh, that picture was taken when we were together," Taylor explained.

"When who was together?" Junior asked confused.

"Your mother and I," Troy said with a grin as the boy's eyes widened.

"What??" he exclaimed in disbelief. "You two dated?" Troy and Taylor shrugged innocently and nodded.

"But, what about mom?" Lila asked her father.

Gabriella dug through a stack of photos. "Here you go," she said handing one to Lila.

Lila looked at the picture and her eyes grew wide. She was looking at her mother wearing a 'Danforth' jersey, holding Chad's hand and standing on her tippy toes kissing him. "No way!" the girl exclaimed. "You dated Uncle Chad?"

"Let me see," Junior said grabbing the picture from Lila. "Wow. _You_ with my dad and my mom with pop. So one day you guys just decided to trade or something?"

"Let's just say I got more than a state championship that night," Troy said winking at Gabriella.

"Huh?" Lila asked.

"That's the night you were conceived, babydoll," Troy answered her.

"What you guys cheated on my parents?" Junior asked shocked.

"Well, your dad and I weren't exactly innocent that night either," Taylor confessed.

"Wow," Lila said, letting it all sink in.

"That's some Jerry Springer shit right there," Junior said to himself.

"Chadrick Jacob Danforth, Jr.!" Taylor exclaimed. "Watch your mouth! Don't think you're too old for me to wash it out with soap."

Lila laughed as Junior hung his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, mom."

* * *

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Lila asked her mother the next morning as they cleared the table. Taylor and Junior had gone home and Troy was in his office working on lesson plans for his class. After chemistry nearly cost him his chance to play basketball in high school, he became a chemistry teacher determined to make it fun and easy to learn.

"Of course," Gabriella replied.

"Well, there's this guy. I like him but I'm not really sure how to tell him."

"Just tell him. There's really no special way to do it. Just be yourself and be honest."

"But what if he doesn't like me like that? What if things get weird?"

"Honey, you'll never know unless you try. Besides, what isn't there to like? He'd have to be crazy not to like a girl like you."

Lila smiled. "Thanks, mom. You're the best," she said giving her a kiss on the cheek and walking out of the kitchen just as Troy walked in.

Troy raised his eyebrow at Gabriella. She waited until she heard Lila's door shut before she started squealing and clapping her hands. "She's going to tell him, Troy!" she exclaimed. "I have to call Taylor!" She ran into their bedroom leaving him alone in the kitchen shaking his head.

* * *

"So, pretty crazy that our parents dated, huh?" Lila asked Junior later that day. They were on their way home after an intense day of one on one basketball at the park.

"Yeah, I know," Junior agreed. "Just think about it. If your dad and my mom would have stayed together we could have been half siblings. "Weird!"

"Yeah, it's a good thing they didn't then."

"Why's that? We are practically brother and sister anyways."

"Says who?"

"You don't think of me as your brother?"

"Not exactly," Lila said slowly.

Junior gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. _Now or never,_ she thought. "Well," she started, "I've always kind of had a little crush on you."

"You what?"

"I've been thinking lately that maybe we could be something more."

"Like a couple?" She nodded. "Lila, that's crazy. We're not each others types. We're too much alike. We have too good of a friendship to risk it."

"Oh," she said as her heart dropped. She should have known he wouldn't like her back. He was right, they weren't each other's types-at least she wasn't his. He liked girly girls, not sporty tomboys. Now what was she supposed to do? She couldn't let things get awkward. "Hey, Junior?" she asked as they reached her driveway and they stopped walking.

"Yeah?"

"Gotcha!" she said putting on a fake grin and running up the driveway to her house.

"What?" he asked in shock. "Why I oughtta…" he said racing after her.


	3. Chapter 2

**I love how many reviews I am getting. Keep it up! You guys rock! Here it is... the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Gabriella was pacing frantically waving her arms around and talking to herself. In less than an hour her show to reveal the fall colors and new designs for her boutique was starting. Normally she was cool and collected before her shows, but this time there was a writer from an up and coming fashion magazine in the audience, so there was a lot riding on the success of the show. The models, who were mostly local college students, were getting dressed and doing their hair and makeup. Lila was running around making sure things were organized and everything was going according to the plan while clearly searching for something.

"Emma," Lila said to a young blonde. "Have you seen Jamie?" Emma shook her head. Lila groaned. This was not the time for their main model who would be wrapping up the show with the grand finale to go missing. "Marie," she said to another girl. "Have _you_ seen Jamie?" Marie shook her head as well. "Has _anyone_ seen Jamie?" she asked loudly in the middle of the dressing area. She got an array of no's and head shakes before someone finally spoke up.

"Last I saw her, she was headed to the bathroom," a girl name Claudia said. "That was a while ago though."

Lila nodded. "Thanks," she said heading off in the direction of the bathroom. She knocked on the door. When she got no answer she knocked again. "Jamie?" she asked. She slowly opened the door to reveal Jamie curled over the toilet drenched in sweat.

* * *

"Mom," Lila said nervously. "We have a small problem." 

Gabriella's face flushed. "We do?"

Lila nodded. "Jamie is, uh, well…"

"What, Lila? She's what?"

"Puking her guts out."

"Oh no!" Gabriella exclaimed, running a hand through her already disheveled hair. "She was supposed to be wearing the final gown and close out the show. I can't do the show without that gown, but I don't have another size three model," she rambled to herself. She prided herself in using models for her gowns that were just your normal everyday girls of all shapes and sizes instead of your typical size zero models. People loved it, which was another reason she had become so successful, but right now it was more of a curse than a blessing.

"Did you find her?" Emma asked as she and Claudia walked up to where they were standing.

"What size are you girls?" Gabriella asked them frantically.

"One," Emma answered.

"Five," Claudia said.

"Damnit! Is anyone here a size three?" Gabriella yelled to the other girls. They all shook their heads. "Just my luck. I have eight models and none of them are the right size," she said as she began to pace again.

"I know someone who wears a three," Emma said softly.

Gabriella spun around to face her. "Who?"

"Lila," she replied with a grin.

Gabriella's face lit up as she turned to face her daughter. "What? Me?" Lila asked. "No way! Not in a million years. I'm not a model. I don't wear dresses. I don't even know how to walk in heels!"

* * *

"Whew!" Gabriella sighed in relief as she plopped into a chair beside the small runway. "I can't believe we made it through that!" 

"That was possibly the most hectic show ever!" Emma said sitting next to her.

"Lila, honey," Gabriella said placing a hand on her daughter's knee as she sat in the chair on her other side. "You were great!"

"Great?" Emma asked. "She was awesome! I never would have guessed she had never modeled before. You are totally a natural! I can't wait until the next show. We can do a walk together and-"

"That would be a negative, Em," Lila interrupted. "The next show Jamie will be feeling better and I'll go back to my coordinator job where I belong."

"You only _think_ you belong backstage, but girl, after what I saw today I would say you definitely belong _on_ stage!"

"No way!"

"I saw you up there," Gabriella said. "Deep down I think you enjoyed it, you are just too embarrassed to admit it."

"Psh!" Lila waved her hand and blew the statement off.

"Come on, Lila. You _know_ you liked it. We won't hold it against you," Emma coaxed.

"Fine!" Lila threw her hands up in defeat. "I may have enjoyed it just a little tiny bit," she admitted sheepishly.

"I knew it!" Gabriella exclaimed happily. "The next show is in two and a half months. I'm going to get started on a dress for you right away!" With a sudden burst of energy she sprang out of her chair and hurried across the shop and into her office to work on a design.

Lila and Emma stood up and began to stack the chairs to put back into the storage closet. "This is so awesome!" Emma exclaimed. "I knew you had a girly side somewhere in there. I can't wait to tell everyone!"

"What? You can't tell anyone!" Lila said.

"Why not?"

"I don't want anyone to know."

"Not even Junior?"

"_Especially_ not Junior."

"But, Lila…"

"Seriously, Em. Please don't tell anyone!"

"Fine."

* * *

"You should have seen her, Taylor," Gabriella gushed to her best friend in her living room a few days later. "She was amazing. Underneath those jeans and tee shirts she was gorgeous. I mean, I always knew she was gorgeous, but knowing it and actually seeing it are two completely different things." 

"When is your next show?" Taylor asked. "I'll make Junior go so he can see that she really _is_ his type."

Gabriella sighed. "She made me and Emma swear not to tell him. I think she's still embarrassed about telling him how she felt not going very well."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Are you kidding? She won't even admit it was Junior she was talking about. She claims it's some boy from school."

"So, what's her reason for not wanting him to know?"

"She claims that if he knew she was modeling, he would think of her as a girly girl and would go easy on her when they play basketball. She won't even let me tell Troy."

"Doesn't she realize she can be the basketball star and have a feminine side?"

Gabriella sighed. "Apparently not, but I'm working on it." The front door opened and Lila walked in, dropping her backpack on the floor and kicking of her shoes. "Speaking of the devil."

"Hey, mom. Hey, Aunt Taylor," she greeted.

"Lila, I hear you were fantastic at the show," Taylor said with a smile.

"Mom!" Lila whined, "you weren't supposed to tell anyone!"

"No," Gabriella corrected. "You told me not to tell your father or Junior. You didn't say anything about Taylor." Lila groaned.

"I guess I'll just have to come and see for myself at the next one," Taylor said.

Lila turned to her. "Please don't tell anyone," she begged.

"I won't, dear, but you ought to invite that boy from school."

"Mom! You told her about him, too?"

"Lila, honey, I tell her everything, you know that. Besides, she has the right to know about the girls chasing after her son," Gabriella said with a smirk.

Lila groaned again as a small blush crept onto her cheeks. "Mom, I told you. It's not Junior, its just some boy from school."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

* * *

"Hey, Emma," Junior said as she sat down at their usual lunch table in the school cafeteria. 

"Hey, Junior," she replied. "Lila, guess what I have?" She asked holding up a magazine.

"What?" Lila asked.

"The article about the show last month at your mom's shop!"

"Oh, man! I forgot that came out today! Is it good?"

Emma let out a small laugh. "Good? Listen to this," she said as she opened the magazine. "Finally, the entire show was pulled together by one last walk. The gown had a unique sexiness to it and a rich auburn color that perfectly captured the essence of fall. It was worn by a young exotic Latino, leaving one to wonder which was more beautiful, the model or the gown."

"What?! You're kidding! Seriously?" She grabbed the magazine from her friend. "Oh, my, gosh!" she exclaimed when she realized Emma had indeed been reading from the article.

"Who are they talking about?" Junior asked. He occasionally worked to set up and tear apart the shows so he knew most of the models.

Before Emma could say anything, Lila shot her a warning glance. "A last minute replacement for Jamie, who has turned out to be pregnant," Lila answered.

"Well, I guess we have an exotic Latino to take her place," Emma said.

"Is she hot?" Junior asked.

"Oh, definitely," Emma answered with a grin.

"Maybe we'll come to the next show and check her out," said Landon, Junior's best guy friend, with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Lila nearly choked on her drink. "You can't do that!" she exclaimed.

"Why not?" Junior asked confused.

"Because, she, uh, um," she stuttered trying to come up with an excuse. "She's not your type."

"How do you know?" Landon asked narrowing his eyes at her.

"Just trust me, she's not your type."

"What, is she super high maintenance or something?" Junior asked.

"Or something," Lila answered, relief sweeping through her body as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang.

* * *

Gabriella sat at the dining room table with a copy of the magazine waiting for Lila to get home. Just as she glanced at the clock for what felt like the millionth time, the front door opened and Lila burst through. Gabriella got up and hurried over to her. 

"Oh my gosh, mom!" Lila exclaimed. "Did you read the article?!"

"Yes!" Gabriella said wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"I can't believe it!" Her voice quieted and she added, "Mom, they said I'm beautiful."

"Of course they did, honey. Why are you surprised?"

"Nobody has ever called me that before."

"Your daddy and I tell you that all the time."

"Yeah, but you are my parents. You have to say stuff like that."

"We don't say it because we have to; we say it because it's true."

"Well, I guess I know that now. Thanks. It's kind of weird to think of myself that way." She paused. "But, I think I could get used to it," she added with a small smile.

"So, does this mean I have a new model for all my shows?"

"Yeah, I suppose you do."

Gabriella thought for a moment before making her next offer. "It's about time for me to shoot a bunch of new photos for the walls and my portfolio if you are interested in doing the shoot."

"I don't know, mom," Lila said uneasily. "I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet. I want to take this slow. I don't think I'm ready to have my face filling the books and plastered on the walls."

"That's fine. I understand. I have one last thing for you, though."

"What's that?"

"Originally I was looking into it for Claudia and Emma, but there is a camp in L.A. this summer for aspiring models. Its two weeks and they teach you the ins and outs of modeling. At the end of the camp there is a competition and whoever wins gets a one shoot ad contract with a company. If this is something you are interested in, that contract would be a great starting point for your resume."

"I'm not sure if it's something I'm interested in or not."

"Well, you could go to get more of an idea what its like."

"I don't know, mom," she said hesitantly.

"Baby, it's something you are great at. I just don't want you to look back when you are older and wish you would have given it a shot."

Just then the front door opened and Junior walked in holding a basketball. "You ready?" he asked Lila. She nodded.

"Just think about it, okay, honey?" Gabriella asked as Lila headed for the door.

"Ok, I will," she answered as she shut the door behind her.

"What are you supposed to think about?" Junior asked as they walked down the steps to the basketball hoop in her driveway.

"Nothing," she said quickly. She grabbed the ball out of his hands. "Let's play."


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm not sure I'm really "feeling" this story anymore. I only got two reviews last chapter. Does that mean you guys aren't "feeling" it anymore either? If you aren't, I won't continue. I have another story idea that I'm thinking of and I could work on that instead. But if you all want me to finish this one, I will. Let me know what you think. Here is chapter three...**

* * *

"Once again, you were fabulous," Gabriella said to her daughter. They had just finished the winter show for the boutique.

"Thanks," Lila replied with an exhausted sigh. Modeling was much harder work than she originally thought.

"So, Lila," Claudia said sitting down behind her. "Have you thought any more about the camp?"

"I don't know. I mean I enjoy this, but it's not really my _thing_, you know?"

"But it could be," Gabriella said. "You could do big things with it, I know it."

"Come on, Li," Emma said as she joined them. "It will be fun. The three of us can go together."

"I don't know," Lila said again.

"Just turn in your application," Claudia suggested. "If you decide not to go you can cancel and they can give your spot to someone else."

"If I make it."

"Oh, please!" Emma laughed. "There's no doubt about that. You'll make it. Just apply. _If_ you don't make it, you won't even have to worry about making a decision. When you _do_make it, it's not like its set in stone. You'll still have a few months to change your mind. It's only the beginning of December. Camp isn't until the end of July."

"I suppose…"

"So you're in?" Claudia asked excitedly. "I mean for applying at least?"

Lila thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I'm in."

* * *

"So did you hear who's going to be at camp this year?" Junior asked Lila on a mid February Saturday afternoon while they were shooting hoops in her driveway. He was referring to the co-ed summer basketball camp they both attended every year.

"No, who?" she questioned, taking a shot and watching as the ball swished through the net.

"Jake Johnson," Junior answered.

"No way! Are you serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack."

"Oh my gosh. That is so awesome. He's like the best player in the NBA. Usually they have retired players. How'd they get him?"

"I have no idea, but they rescheduled the entire camp by a month to accommodate his schedule."

She stopped the shot she was about to take. "They moved it?" she asked. He nodded. "To when?"

"The end of July."

"Crap."

"What?"

"Well, I kind of already had plans for then."

"Plans? For two weeks?"

"Yeah. Something with Emma and Claudia."

"Can't you reschedule it?"

Lila sighed. Go figure that something like this would happen. "No. I wasn't even sure about doing it yet."

"Well what is it?"

"Nothing. I guess it doesn't really matter now."

She shot the ball and it bounced off the rim. Just as Junior was about to make a comment, Gabriella walked out of the house.

"Don't let me interrupt," she said to the kids as she walked by. ''I'm just checking the mail." She went to the mailbox, pulled out the contents and went back inside. A few seconds later she came back out. "Lila, I have a letter for you."

"Okay, mom. Set it on my desk," Lila told her as Junior blocked her shot.

"It's from California. Are you expecting something? Who do you know in California?" she asked pretending to be confused.

Lila straightened up and turned to Junior. "I need to talk to my mom for a while. I'll come over in a few hours and we can go to the park and play on the court, okay?"

Junior raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay," he agreed.

Lila hurried inside and Gabriella shoved the letter into her hands. "Open it! Open it!" she exclaimed.

"I want to tell you something," Lila said.

"Tell me later! I'm too excited right now."

"Mom, I need to tell you now," she said seriously.

Gabriella became serious. "What is it?"

"My basketball camp got rescheduled. It's the same weeks as the modeling camp."

Her mother's face fell. "So, you're not going to go?"

Lila shook her head. "I probably didn't even make it anyways." She dropped the letter onto the table.

"You'll never know unless you look." Gabriella picked it back up and held it out to her.

Lila took the envelope, ripped the top open and pulled out the paper. She took a deep breath and unfolded it. Her expression was unreadable as she read the letter.

"Well?" Gabriella asked after a few seconds had gone by.

"I… I got in," Lila quietly answered in surprise. With a puzzled look on her face and the letter in her hand, she walked down the hall to her bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

"So have you heard anything back from them yet?" Emma asked a few days later as they walked to the lunch table.

"No, not yet," Lila lied. Only her mother knew she had been accepted to the modeling camp. She hadn't been expecting to make it, so when she found out it conflicted with her basketball camp she wasn't too worried. When she read the acceptance letter it really threw her for a loop. She had no idea which camp she was going to attend, and until she decided she didn't want Emma or Claudia to know she made the cut.

"Jeeze! I thought for sure you would have heard something by now," Emma said in a frustrated tone.

"Hey, Lilabean," Junior said as they sat down.

"Yes, Chadrick?" she replied playfully. She hated when he called her Lilabean in front of other people so she always used his full first name in return.

He narrowed his eyes at her for a second before he asked, "What are you doing next Saturday?"

"It's the spring show for my mom, why?"

"Dang! All the guys were planning on getting together to play ball, but Luke is going to be out of town so we need another man."

"Then maybe you should ask a _man_," Lila said bitterly.

Junior furrowed his brows in confusion. "You know what I meant," he said.

She rolled her eyes and spent the rest of the lunch period lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

"Lila, I can't believe you got a standing ovation!" Gabriella exclaimed as they stacked the chairs in the storage closet.

"Mom, your dress got a standing ovation, I just happened to be wearing it," Lila replied.

"Don't kid yourself," Claudia said. "Those people were on their feet for _you_."

"If only the gang could see you up there," Emma said. "They would never look at you the same way again."

Lila stopped in her tracks while her friends and her mother continued to chit chat. Was Emma right? Would showing them this side of her make a difference in the way everyone looked at her? Would Junior finally see her as more than just one of the guys?

"Too bad she doesn't know about camp yet," Claudia said.

"Yeah, I know!" Emma agreed. "I thought for sure she would have been accepted by now!"

"She did," Gabriella said. "She got her acceptance letter two weeks ago."

"What?" Emma asked surprised. "Lila!"

"Yeah?" Lila asked shaking herself out of her thoughts.

"You told me you hadn't heard back from camp yet! Your mom said you got the letter weeks ago!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I did. I just didn't tell you because I hadn't made up my mind on whether I was going to go or not yet."

"But you've made up your mind now?" Claudia asked slowly. Lila nodded. "And…?"

"And I'm going," she answered with a smile.

Emma and Claudia squealed and ran over to give her hugs. "Oh my gosh! This is so great! We have so much to do before then!" Emma said excitedly.

"Yeah, like tell my dad I'm going there instead of basketball camp," she said giving her mother a worried glance.

"I'll handle your father, honey. Don't worry," Gabriella reassured her.

* * *

"Bri, I thought we had a deal," Troy said with a groan. "You don't make me go to your fashion shows or whatever and I don't make you go to my basketball games."

"We did," Gabriella replied. It was the end of May and school had just gotten out. She was trying to convince Troy to come to her summer show at the boutique. "But I always go to Lila's basketball games."

"What does that have to do with me coming to your show?" he asked. As far as he knew, his daughter was still just backstage keeping everything organized for the shows. He had no idea she had been modeling.

"Everything," she answered. "Just trust me. Please?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Fine," he agreed with a sigh.

* * *

"Lila, calm down," Emma said to her friend. Lila was backstage pacing as she waited for her turn on the catwalk.

"Em, you don't understand." Lila said in a slight frenzy. "My dad is here! He's in the audience. He has no idea about… this!" She pointed to herself.

"Well, he's about to find out. Take a deep breath."

Lila did as she was told and slowly inhaled. She held her breath for a moment for exhaling deeply.

"Your turn," Claudia said with a smile as she appeared behind the curtain from her walk.

A look of panic came over Lila's face. "You guys," she said, "I can't-" Before she could finish, Emma gave her a smile and gently pushed her out onto the walk. She was instantly met with bright lights and flashes from numerous cameras. She put on her most confident face and walked slowly down the center of the 'T' shaped stage. As she drew nearer to the end, where she knew her father was sitting, her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. When he came into view, his eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging open. She turned in a full circle and struck a pose, giving him a sly smile. After a couple more poses she turned and walked back. As soon as she got behind the curtain she heaved a huge sigh of relief. Before she even had time to think Emma and Claudia engulfed her in a hug.

"Oh my gosh!" Emma exclaimed. "Did you see his face?"

"His expression was priceless," Claudia agreed. "He didn't know what to think!"

Lila didn't have time to say anything before she felt herself being lifted from the ground and spun around. Once her feet were firmly back on the ground she turned around and was met with a shining pair of crystal blue eyes.

"Wow, Lila," Troy said with a surprised look on his face. "Just… wow!"

"Thanks, daddy!" she beamed.

* * *

"Babydoll, I just can't get over how great you were!" Troy said to her after they had cleaned up the store and gone back to their house. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, I wasn't sure how you would take it. I know how important basketball is to you. I didn't want you to feel like I was letting you down," Lila answered sheepishly.

"Don't be silly! You can still model and play basketball."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," she said slowly.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why's that?"

"Well, you see," she fumbled as she struggled to find the right words. "There's this really great modeling camp this summer that I got accepted to and I really want to go."

"That's great, baby!"

"So, I can go?"

"Of course! Why would I say no?"

"Because it's the same two weeks as basketball camp," she said nervously.

"Oh, don't worry. They moved camp to the end of the summer this year."

She exchanged a worried look with her mother. Gabriella nodded at her to continue. "I know," Lila said simply.

The smile quickly faded from Troy's face. "What?" he asked. Lila gave him a sad look. "No," he said sternly. "No way."

"But, daddy-"

"No, Lila. Basketball is your future. I'm not going to let you throw it away."

With tears threatening to fall over Lila turned and ran out the front door, slamming it behind her.

Troy turned to face Gabriella. "Did you put her up to this?" he asked.

"What?" Gabriella asked, shocked.

"You heard me. Did you put her up to this? You just couldn't stand that she isn't into your dresses and girly stuff so you tried to brainwash her?"

"Troy!" she yelled. "Would you listen to yourself?? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

"Don't avoid the question. You _did_ put her up to this, didn't you?"

"Give me a break, Troy. She was a last minute replacement for Jamie when she got pregnant and _she_ chose to continue doing the shows. I told her about the camp long before we knew basketball camp had been rescheduled. _She_ chose to apply and _she_ decided to go. I had _nothing_ to do with it. There is no way I could make her do something she doesn't want to do. Let's not forget she's _your_ daughter and just as stubborn and pig headed as you are."

"She has worked so hard at basketball. That's where her future is. I can't just let her ruin her dreams!"

"Maybe they aren't _her_ dreams."

"What?"

"Troy, you saw her today. When was the last time you saw her that happy?"

Troy thought for a moment before his expression softened. "Never," he said quietly.

"Exactly! So let her go. She needs to make her own dreams. Her future very well could be in modeling. She's amazing."

"Yeah," he sighed. "She is."

* * *

"I thought I might find you here," Troy said as he walked across the empty playground at the park and sat in the swing next to his daughter.

"What do you want?" Lila asked bitterly.

"To apologize. I was already planning on going to camp with you and your news caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting it and I didn't handle it properly."

"Properly?"

"Ok, so I handled it terribly. I'm sorry, Lila. Will you promise me one thing?"

"What?" she asked looking up at him.

"Not to forget about little old me when you become some famous supermodel?"

She jumped up and sat in his lap with a grin and gave him a hug. "I promise."


	5. Chapter 4

**Ok, you all win. I'm going to finish it. lol. I know it has been moving kinda slow, but it will be picking up from here on out. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ok, let's hurry up!" Lila said anxiously as she threw her bags in the trunk of Claudia's car.

"What's the rush, Li?" Claudia asked standing in the doorway of the front door.

She hurried back up to the porch. "I'm just in a hurry to get there. That's all," she lied.

"And by that you mean you want to get out of here before Junior can come over and ask where you are going?" Emma said with a grin.

Lila blushed and walked flustered in the house for one last glance to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Her friends followed her into her bedroom.

"I don't know why you won't just tell him," Claudia said.

"Because he doesn't even know I was modeling at the shop. To him, I'm nothing but one of the guys and I know exactly how he's going to react when he finds out."

"Well he's going to figure it out when you aren't on the bus for basketball camp," Emma reminded her.

Looking down and fumbling with all the last minute things in her arms she decided to bring, she walked out of her room with Emma and Claudia following her. "At least then I won't have to listen to his damn mouth," she said as she reached the table and threw everything in her arms into a bag.

"Now I know you aren't talking about me," a voice said, stopping her in her tracks. She looked up to see Junior standing with his back and one foot on the open doorframe with his arms crossed and his elbow resting on a basketball perched on his leg.

"What if I was?" she asked nervously as she grabbed the bag and her keys off the kitchen table. She motioned to the girls to follow her and they walked casually out the front door locking it behind them.

"Are you going somewhere?" Junior asked confused.

"Yeah," she said throwing the bag in the trunk.

"That's a lot of stuff," he commented as she slammed the trunk closed.

"What are you doing here, Junior?"

"I came to play a little one on one before we had to leave."

"Sorry, I can't."

"Afraid to lose?" he teased, tossing the ball to her.

She caught the ball and held back her competitive side. "Yeah, right. I just don't have time. I guess it's your lucky day."

"You realize the bus leaves in an hour and a half?"

Lila looked at the ground and shuffled her feet. "Uh, yeah." She turned to the car to open the door. Junior put his hand on the door to stop her from opening it.

"What's up with you?" he asked rudely in a suspicious tone.

"I know when the damn bus leaves, Junior," she snapped back.

"So where are you going?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"Sor-ry. This just isn't like you. Turning down a game of basketball."

"Basketball isn't my whole life, you know."

"It used to be! You spend more time with them doing who knows what than you do playing ball with me now. What happened?"

"People change and grow up. I've realized there's more to life than just basketball. It doesn't mean I love the game any less, it just means I like some new things, too."

"Lila, we have to go!" Claudia yelled from the driver seat.

Junior sighed. "Whatever. I'll see you in an hour?" he asked in his regular tone.

Lila took a deep breath. "Actually, no," she said softly.

"What?!"

"I'm, uh, not going to camp this year."

"What? Where the hell are you going then?"

"I found another camp to go to this year."

"Another camp? For what?"

"Modeling," she answered matter-of-factly.

Junior burst out laughing. "No, seriously. What's it for?"

Lila narrowed her eyes at him. "I just told you."

"You? Modeling?" His fit of laughter continued. "Oh, God! That ought to be good! Now I wish I wasn't going to camp so I could see it!"

She rolled her eyes and shoved the ball as hard as she could into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. "Jackass," she muttered as she climbed into the car and slammed the door.

* * *

"Ok, ladies," the woman on the small stage yelled to the group of young girls that filled the room. Lila, Emma and Claudia had arrived in L.A. at the hotel that was hosting their camp and checked in. "I am Juliette and I am the senior consultant here at Camp Cattawalk. This is a very special year. I know you are all familiar with the _Style Network_. They are doing a special on summer camps and have selected us as a location to film!" The room burst out in shrieks and squeals. Once it quieted down, Juliette continued. "My lovely assistants are handing out the release forms from the station. They need to be signed and returned ASAP. As a thank you for letting them come, they have added a new twist. Over the next two weeks, you will all be competing in various challenges. Whoever has the highest score in the end, will get a three thousand dollar Visa card to go on a shopping spree for a brand new wardrobe."

Again the room filled with high pitched screams. "Now, on to our first order of business. Each girl will take a turn on this runway exactly as you are right now. All of you must watch and pick out one thing you feel would most enhance her performance. It may be something like improving her walk or posture, or something like a new hairstyle or tan. Write it down next to each girl's number. When we are done, you will turn your answers in and we will count them up and make a list. Tomorrow we will meet in here first thing in the morning with the results. There are thirty girls here. If a girl gets at least five votes for the same thing, it gets changed. That means if at least five of the other girls think your posture needs help, you spend extra time with a trainer working on it. If at least five girls think you need a new hairstyle, you are getting a cut. No ifs ands or buts about it."

Lila exchanged a nervous glance with Emma. She never imagined modeling camp would be so intense.

* * *

The next morning all the girls gathered and waited anxiously for the results.

"Alright, ladies, the votes have been tallied up," Juliette announced. "A few of you should be honored that there were many blanks left by your name. That must mean that lots of the girls thought you were already great and didn't need any big changes. Others of you received some great suggestions and will have some things to work on." Lila's stomach filled with butterflies as Juliette read through the list of girls and what they would be getting or working on. "And last but not least, Lila Bolton," she said. "Lila, you lucky gal, you're getting almost a complete make-over! Manicure, pedicure, eyebrows, haircut and makeup. You are the only girl who didn't have a single vote for any modeling techniques. That's really something to be proud of!"

Lila let out a sigh and smiled sheepishly as all the girls turned to smile at her. Even though her votes showed that the other girls thought her appearance sucked, she _was_ proud. As long as she had the technique down, she was happy. The physical things were easy to fix. Now she just had to concentrate on winning the challenges so she could get the shopping spree.

* * *

"We're going to have to rent another car!" Claudia exclaimed as the girls tried to shove all their bags into the trunk of her car so they could drive home from camp. At the end of the two weeks, Lila came in second place. Originally there was only one prize, but _Style Network_ was so impressed with the talent at the camp that they decided to give a 1500 shopping spree to second place and a 500 shopping spree to third. She was amazed at how far she could stretch the money. Not only did she buy herself a plentiful new wardrobe, but she bought a few outfits for Claudia and Emma, too. The girls also each had a large portfolio of photos that had been taken over the past two weeks. Now the only problem would be getting it all home.

"I give up," Emma said. "There's no way it's all going to fit."

The girls stared at the trunk for a few moments as if all their things would magically fall into place. "I have an idea," Lila said. She dug through the trunk to get out her huge duffle bag full of old jeans, sweats and t-shirts and opened it up. She walked over to the garbage can, took a deep breath and dumped the whole bag out. She turned to walk back to the car where Emma and Claudia had huge grins on their faces.

"You have no idea how long we have wanted you to do that!" Emma exclaimed.

"Yeah, well," Lila said softly. "Let's get out of here before I change my mind and dig it all back out."

They quickly reloaded the trunk and put the remainder of their things in the driver's side of the backseat and began the drive home.

"So, are you nervous?" Claudia asked when they were only a few minutes away from Lila's house.

"About what?" Lila asked.

"Seeing Junior, duh!" she replied.

"Why would I be nervous?"

"Oh, come on, Li!" Emma exclaimed. "You know you are! I can't wait to see his reaction. I bet he won't even recognize you."

"I bet he's still the same jerk he was when I left," Lila said bitterly.

"Whatever!" Claudia said. "He's not going to know what to think. I'd like to see him say you aren't his type now."

Claudia slowed the car to a stop in front of Lila's house and popped the trunk. Much to Lila's dismay, her dad was in the driveway playing basketball with Junior. _Oh well_, she thought. _Might as well get it over with now_. She looked down at herself and fidgeted with her clothes.

"You look great," Emma said softly. "Go show him what he's missing."

Lila got out of the car and lifted the trunk. Hiding behind it, she began to unload her bags as her dad and Junior stopped their game to come help with her stuff. Butterflies filled her stomach as she heard them approaching the car.

"Jeeze, Lilabean," Junior joked. "You think you brought enough back?" She stepped out from behind the car and into his view. His jaw dropped. Standing before him was a gorgeous girl that only slightly resembled the one he had known his entire life. The tomboy that left for LA two weeks prior was nowhere to be found. She was wearing a low cut black silk corset style shirt and white pleated mini skirt with strappy black kitten heels. Her finger and toe nails were done, her eyebrows had been waxed and she was wearing makeup. Her dark brown hair had been cut into long layers and had just a hint of warm red highlights. The natural curls framed her face perfectly and cascaded down her back.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Is there a problem, Chadrick?"

"No, I, uh, um, well, I didn't, um," he stuttered.

"You look amazing, babydoll," Troy said hugging his daughter. "I'm glad you're back. I can't wait to hear all about it." He grabbed her bags from the ground and walked them to the house.

"Thanks, guys! I'll call you later tonight!" she said to Emma and Claudia. "Are you trying to catch flies or something?" she asked Junior who still had his mouth open. He quickly shut his mouth and shook his head as she started to walk towards the house. "Are you coming or not?" she asked. As he followed her into the house, she could hear Emma and Claudia laughing as they drove away.

* * *

"Is something wrong?" Lila asked as she sat down in her front yard with Junior. In the middle of her telling their parents about her camp, he got up and walked out. She finished telling them about her time away and changed into some cheerleading shorts, a wife beater tank top and sneakers before joining him outside.

"Who are you?" Junior asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to the Lila I used to know? My best friend that I used to hang out with all the time and play ball with. The one who didn't care about clothes or hair or makeup. You left for two weeks and came back all girly and hot. You used to be a great ball player. What the hell happened?"

"I'm still a great ball player." She paused before asking sheepishly, "You think I'm hot?"

Junior looked up and into her eyes. He didn't know what to think or say. Until today, she was just one of the guys, and then she came back from her camp and left him speechless. Had she always been this beautiful? He didn't know what happened while she was at camp, but it changed her. It wasn't just her looks; it was her confidence and the way she carried herself. Her whole attitude and perspective changed. At first he wasn't sure he liked it, but looking at her now, she was perfect. He closed his eyes and slowly leaned in towards her. Just as their lips were about to meet, Junior let his brain take over. _What are you doing?_ he asked himself. _This is Lila. Stop!_

"Prove it," he whispered with their noses practically touching.

Lila's eyes fluttered open "What?"

"You say you can still play ball? Prove it," he challenged her picking up the ball next to him.

"Fine," she agreed and stood up. She pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and grabbed the ball from him.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You might break a nail or something."

"Just shut up and play."

* * *

**Well, there it is. I hoped you liked it. Its very frustrating to write a story and get tons of hits but no reviews. Please make me happy and leave a review or send me a private message. I really like to hear from my readers and know what they think.  
**


	6. Chapter 5

* * *

"Wouldn't you rather do this with your girl friends

"Wouldn't you rather do this with your _girl_ friends?" Junior asked as he sat on Lila's bed and looked through an old basketball magazine.

From inside her bathroom, Lila smiled. "Just two days ago you were complaining that we don't hang out enough, now you're complaining that we are hanging out?" she asked.

"I don't remember that," he joked.

"I suppose you don't remember me kicking your ass at basketball either?"

"Yeah, yeah. You got lucky. When I said we didn't hang out enough, I didn't mean I wanted to watch you try on clothes and do your hair and crap."

Lila stifled a laugh. She told Emma and Claudia about her almost kiss with Junior. This was part of their plan. "Are you ready?"

Junior sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

"So, do I look okay?" she asked walking into her bedroom. It was their first day of their senior year of high school. Junior was waiting for her to get ready so they could leave.

He turned around to look at her and just like when she arrived home from camp, his jaw dropped. She was wearing very short low rise black shorts and a hot pink with black lace v-neck spaghetti strap tank with black and pink peep toe heels. She put some temporary hot pink streaks in her hair and had her makeup done perfectly with hot pink eye shadow and glossy, kissable lips.

"Well?"

"Lila, you can't wear that to school!"

"Why not?"

_Because every guy there will be all over you! _he thought. "You just can't!" She raised an eyebrow at him. "It violates like every part of the dress code."

"Good!" she said with a grin. She grabbed her purse and walked out of her room. "Let's go!"

* * *

"I think I have a sweatshirt in here somewhere if you want," Junior said turning to dig through his messy backseat.

"Junior, it's like ninety degrees outside. Why the heck would I want a sweatshirt?"

He looked at her in the passenger seat. "Right." He slightly shook his head and got out of the car.

As they walked across the parking lot and courtyard towards the school, he couldn't help but notice everyone watching them. The girls narrowed their eyes at her and turned to their friends to gossip. The guys stared with cocky smirks and grins, their lust apparent in their eyes. He found himself suddenly feeling very protective of the girl beside him. Fighting the urge to either cover her with a blanket or beat the smirk off every single one of their faces, they made their way inside to their lockers.

"Dude, I should have known you'd lay claim on the hot new girl," Landon said as he walked up to his locker beside Junior's.

"Hey, Landon," Junior said. He couldn't believe this. Even his second best friend wanted her, although he clearly didn't know who she was. "You're in for quite a surprise this morning."

Landon glanced past him to Lila's back at her locker a few feet away. "She sure as hell beats the same old chicks we have around here. So what's her name?"

Lila slammed her locker shut and turned to face them. "Lila Bolton," she said, "and you're a pig."

"Holy crap," Landon exclaimed. "I, uh…"

She rolled her eyes as Emma walked up. "Hey, Lila. Guys. There's quite a buzz around campus about the 'new girl'. I see Landon just found out she's not so new after all."

Before Landon had a chance to respond, Dan Williams, the captain of the baseball team and Junior's worst enemy walked up.

"Lila?" he asked surprised. "Is that you?"

"The one and only," she replied.

"Wow, you look great!"

"Thank you. You are too sweet. You're looking pretty good yourself."

"Can I walk you to homeroom?"

"Sure," she answered. As they began to walk, she turned and exchanged excited grins with Emma.

Junior's blood boiled as he watched them walk away. "What a creep," he muttered.

"Do I sense some jealousy?" Emma asked with a sly smile.

"Me? Jealous?" Junior asked. "Yeah right!" She raised an eyebrow at him as the bell rang. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Got to go to class. See you later!" he said, dashing off before she could ask any more questions.

* * *

"Dude, can you believe how hot Lila is?"

"I know! Where has she been hiding that hot body?"

"I think Williams has already made his move on her."

Junior cringed as the guys sitting behind him in his chemistry class talked about Lila. He couldn't believe they had the nerve to talk like that about her in her own father's classroom.

"Man, he's fast! Lucky son of a bitch. I'd hit that ass so hard she wouldn't be able to walk." He'd had enough.

"Will you guys shut the hell up?" he yelled turning around to face them.

"What's your problem?" Ryan, a soccer player, asked.

"Who the hell do you think you are to talk about her like that? She's an amazing girl, not just some piece of trash."

Ryan and his friends laughed. "Sounds to me like someone's mad that he lost his chance and now someone else is going to make it with his slut."

Junior flew out of his seat and grabbed Ryan's shirt in his fist, pinning him against the wall. "Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that _ever_ again."

"Junior," Troy said as he walked into the room. "Is there a problem?"

"No, Pop. Er, I mean Mr. Bolton," Junior said letting go of his shirt. After giving Ryan a warning glance, he turned back to his seat.

"Bastard," Ryan muttered under his breath.

Junior spun around and went to lunge at Ryan, but was held back by two of his friends from the basketball team. "Danforth," Troy said. "Detention."

He angrily stormed out of the room and down the hall to the detention room. After signing in with the attendant, he slumped down in a chair. The door opened and someone else entered the room. Moments later they were standing in front of him.

"Well, well, well," a familiar feminine voice said. "I didn't expect to see you here." He looked up and found himself face to face with Lila. "Who sent the basketball star to detention?" she asked.

"Your dad."

She laughed. "Are you kidding me? For what?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

"Oh, come on. Don't you think you are being a bit dramatic?" He didn't answer. "Come on," she begged. "What was it?"

Junior sighed. "Fighting."

"What? You got in a fight?"

"Almost."

"With who?"

"Ryan Bryant."

"Junior, that's not like you at all. What the heck happened?" Lila was worried. Although he could sometimes have a temper, he never let it get the best of him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Tough. You're going to tell me, and you're going to tell me right now."

"Him and his buddies were saying stuff I didn't like. I tried to ignore them, but I snapped."

"What could they possibly have said to make you start a fight?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Does it matter what they said?"

"I don't know, does it?" she asked and eyed him curiously.

He sighed again. "They were saying some awful and disgusting things about you."

"So you tried to fight him?"

"Well, then they brought my dad into it by calling me a bastard. It was just a reaction. I didn't really think it through."

Lila was surprised. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't believe that he had almost been in a fight over her. "Well, thank you for defending my honor," she said softly as she slid into the seat next to him.

He nodded. "So what landed you in detention?"

She shrugged. "Dress code violation," she said with a smirk.

* * *

Lila stood at the entrance to the cafeteria holding her lunch tray looking for her friends. She spotted Emma on the other side of the room. Junior was sitting beside her and looked up from his lunch to see who she was waving at. When his eyes met Lila's, he smiled and she started to walk towards the table.

"Hey, Lila," Dan said, stepping in front of her. "I saved a seat for you."

Glancing past him, she saw Junior's face fall. "I've already got a seat," she said with a warm smile, "but thanks anyways." She walked to the table and sat down across from Junior.

"What, you don't want to sit with Dan and his buddies?" he asked.

"You can't get rid of me that easily. You think I'd ditch my knight in shining armor for a bunch of baseball dopes?"

Emma almost spit out her drink. She managed to swallow it and burst out laughing. "Your what?" she asked.

"You didn't hear?" Lila asked.

"No," Emma answered curiously.

"It's really not a big deal. Kinda dumb, actually," Junior said.

"Dumb? Why, Junior, it was no such thing," Lila said innocently batting her eyes at him.

"Don't be a smartass about it," he said.

She turned to Emma. "He got in a fight defending my honor this morning." She placed a hand over her heart and pretended she was about to cry.

Emma covered her mouth with her fingertips and also feigned tears. "Such a gentleman."

"You know what? Next time they talk about getting into your pants and screwing you so hard you can't walk, I'll just let them," he said and stormed away.

"Something is up with him," Lila wondered aloud.

"He wants you," Emma said. "Bad."

She wasn't so sure. She watched him angrily shove through a group of people and out of the cafeteria. Something was definitely up, but she wasn't sure what. Whatever it was, she had the feeling she had just crossed the line with her teasing.

Lila walked into her 6th period economics class just as the late bell was ringing. She saw Junior sitting in the back of the room and hurried to sit in the desk next to him.

"Good afternoon, students," the teacher said as he stood in front of the class. "I'm Mr. Johnson."

As Mr. Johnson continued to talk, Lila turned to Junior. "Look, Junior," she whispered, "about what happened at lunch."

"Shh," he whispered back. "I can't hear the teacher."

She sighed and slumped down in her seat. _Like he really cares what the teacher is saying_, she thought. When the bell rang to signal the end of class she hopped up and tried to catch Junior on the way out, but he was too fast.

After the final class got out, Lila made her way to the parking lot and was relieved to see Junior leaning against his car. She picked up the pace and jogged over to him.

"Oh, good," she said as she opened the passenger door and climbed in. "I was worried you'd leave me here."

"Trust me, the thought crossed my mind."

The rest of the ride was silent until Junior pulled into her driveway. She was about to get out when she turned to him. "I'm sorry about teasing you at lunch. We took it too far, and I'm really sorry." He remained silent. "Did they really say those things about me?" she asked softly.

"Do you think I'd make that stuff up?" he asked keeping his gaze straight forward.

"Well, thanks for sticking up for me." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the car and walking into her house.

Junior pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street to his house. He opened the front door and found himself face to face with his mother.

"To the Bolton's," Taylor said angrily. "Now."

_Great_, he thought. He expected Lila's dad to tell his mom about sending him to detention, but he didn't expect him to do it so quickly.

When they arrived at the Bolton house, Lila and her parents were sitting in the living room waiting for them.

"What's this about detention?" Taylor demanded as they sat on the empty couch.

"Mom, I-"

"On the first day of school?"

"Mom-"

"For fighting?! Come on, Junior! You know better than that!"

"I know, mom. I-"

"What's gotten into you?"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay!?"

"You can't just go starting fights, Junior. Especially not in Troy's class. You know he has to be tough on you so that no one can accuse him of playing favorites."

"Junior, stunts like that not only have consequences in the classroom, but if it happens again, there will be consequences on the court as well. Do you understand?" Troy asked.

"Yes, Pop. I'm sorry. Really."

"I've never seen you act like that. What happened?" Troy asked.

Junior exchanged a glance with Lila. "Dad," she said, "just trust me when I say he had a good excuse and it will never happen again, right?" Junior nodded.

"Well, hopefully detention was awful and your learned your lesson," Taylor said.

"Oh, it was terrible," he replied and gave Lila a wink.


	7. Chapter 6

**I'm going to try something this time. In the next chapter there will be three minor walk on characters that have yet to be named. I will enter everyone who leaves a review into a drawing to name them. I'll pick the winner using . I am starting another story as well that has a few characters that need names, so if I get enough reviews maybe I'll pick some people to name them as well. **

**Here is the next chapter... enjoy!**

* * *

Lila jumped up and dashed across her room to answer the telephone that just started ringing

Lila jumped up and dashed across her room to answer the telephone that just started ringing. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lila," Emma said sounding slightly stressed on the other end of the line. "Is your mom home?"

"Um… no," she answered.

"Shit!" Emma cursed.

"Why? What's up?"

"I left my history book at the shop yesterday when we were trying on those dresses and that big assignment is due tomorrow."

"Oh, no problem. I finished it last week. You can borrow my book," Lila offered.

"Thanks, but I really need mine. All my notes and stuff are in it. I know Sundays are usually her days off, but do you think there is _any_ chance your mom went over there today?"

"No, her and my dad went somewhere. Come get me and we'll take the spare key. No big deal."

"Awesome, Lila. Thanks!"

She got up and looked in the mirror. She was wearing short pink pajama shorts and the matching tank. Her hair was a mess. Most of it was pulled up into a sloppy bun, but stray tendrils had fallen out. She briefly contemplated changing her clothes or fixing her hair but decided against it. She went into her mother's office and got the spare key to the store out of her desk drawer. Slipping on some flip flops she walked to the front door just as she heard Emma honk from the driveway.

"You're going to wear that out?" Emma asked when Lila climbed in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, we're just going to the shop, right?" Lila replied.

"Yeah, but what if we break down or get a flat tire or run out of gas on the way there? We'll have to get out and walk and you don't want the world to see you straight out of bed."

"Em, it's like two minutes away. I think we'll make it there okay."

They rode in comfortable silence to the shop. When they arrived, the girls hopped out and Lila unlocked the door. As she opened it, she reached over to flick the lights on.

"SURPRISE!!"

Lila nearly jumped out of her skin. The shop had been decorated with streamers and balloons and was filed with her friends and family.

"Happy Birthday, Babydoll," Troy said wrapping his daughter in a hug. Technically it wasn't Lila's birthday. Her birthday was earlier that week on Wednesday, but they waited until Sunday to throw her party and catch her off guard. She turned eighteen.

"Holy crap," she said, still in shock.

"Are you surprised?" Gabriella asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Good thing I finished my history project yesterday," Emma said with a grin.

"You!" Lila exclaimed smacking her lightly on the arm. "I can't believe you knew about this and let me come in my freaking pajamas!"

Everyone in the room burst out laughing. Emma threw her hands up in defense. "Hey, I tried to get you to change!"

* * *

Hours later the Boltons and the Danforths were gathered on the couches in the Bolton living room. They were looking at Lila's baby pictures and the adults were telling the story of her birth while it rained outside.

"And then she delivered the placenta and your dad passed out," Taylor said and everyone laughed.

"Poor dad," Junior said. "Getting soaked in amniotic fluid, passing out… That just wasn't his day."

Silence overcame the group. They were all thinking the same thing, or rather, missing the same person. Outside the lightning cracked and thunder boomed while it seemed that the heaven's opened up to pour out its contents. It never seemed to fail that on important days like birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, first days of school or basketball championships it rained. Gabriella said they were Chad's tears coming down wishing he could be there and had taken to singing the song "Holes in the floor of heaven" on those days.

Lila sighed and broke the silence. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that story," she said and leaned back on the couch just as the power flickered.

"You guys want to stay here tonight?" Gabriella asked Taylor who nodded.

* * *

The next morning Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she stretched her legs. Sunlight was streaming through the windows. Wondering why her alarm hadn't gone off, she rolled over and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was blinking twelve o'clock. The power must have gone out. She immediately hopped out of bed and ran into the living to look at the clock on the wall. It read nine thirty.

She dashed down the hall to Lila's open door. "Lila! Junior!" she exclaimed. "Wake up!"

Lila pulled a pillow over her head. "What the heck, mom? What kind of a wake up call is that?" she asked crankily.

"A very late one," Gabriella replied. "It's nine thirty."

Junior shot up from his mattress on the floor. "What?" he asked. Gabriella turned and hurriedly walked out of the room. Junior exchanged a glance with Lila. "The assembly!" they said in unison.

They both got up and scrambled to get dressed. Junior dug through her closet trying to find his stash of clothes. "What the hell, Lila? Where are my clothes? This is all _girl_ stuff!"

"Isn't there something for you in there?" she asked as she shimmied into a pair of jeans.

"Not unless you expect me to wear this." He held up a pink and white tank top.

She walked into her closet clad in jeans and a bra and grabbed the tank from him. "No, but I will." She quickly put the shirt on and started flipping through the clothes. "Oh, I remember now. I put your stuff in my bottom drawer."

"Great, I've been demoted," he muttered as she hurried into the bathroom and brushed her teeth while he grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt and threw them on. He quickly brushed his teeth as Lila threw her makeup in a bag. They dashed down the hallway and grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table on their way out the front door. Realizing Junior's car wasn't at her house, they sprinted down the street to his and jumped in.

"You do realize that if we don't make it to the assembly we can't go to homecoming, right?" Lila asked as she quickly applied her makeup.

"Yes, I realize that."

"Well then, hurry up!"

"Do _you_ realize that if I get pulled over for speeding I'm the one that gets stuck paying for it?"

"Yes, I realize that," Lila said, mocking him. "Like I said, hurry up!"

A few minutes later, Junior flew into his parking spot and they ran towards the auditorium. They made it just as the doors were being closed. They checked in at the table and sat in the back row, heaving a sigh of relief that they made it in time. After an hour of lecturing on homecoming procedures and rules, making smart choices and the dangers of drinking and driving, they were released. They both had lunch so they made their way to the cafeteria and sat at their regular table.

"Where the heck were you two?" Emma asked as she and a few of their other friends sat down with them.

"_Somebody's_ alarm clock didn't go off," Junior said turning to Lila.

"Oh, like it's my fault the power went out?" Lila asked rolling her eyes.

"Dude," said Matt, one of the guys from the basketball team. "Your parents actually let you two sleep in the same room?" Lila and Junior exchanged shrugs and nodded. "You are a lucky man!"

Junior narrowed his eyes at Matt. "I sleep on the mattress on the floor," he said. "And the door stays open."

Lila nodded. "Besides, it's not like they have anything to worry about," she said.

Junior couldn't help but feel disappointed. He liked to think that she had just as much difficulty falling asleep as he did with her laying only a few feet away; that she was as tempted as he was and had the same naughty thoughts. Before anyone could see him pouting, Landon excitedly approached the table.

"Guess what I got?!" he asked. Everyone looked at him confused. "A cannon rebel two thousand!" he exclaimed.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"Only my dream camera!" he replied. "I've been saving up to get it for a while now. I ordered it last week and it arrived last night. My mom has been onto me about taking dual enrollment classes at the college, so next semester I'm going to take photography. It's not exactly what she's thinking of, but oh well. I can't wait!"

"Um, awesome?" Lila said slowly.

"Yeah, you two totally have to model for me so I can get some practice. You can keep the photos for your portfolios."

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

"So, Lila," Emma said casually. "It's a good thing you made it to the homecoming assembly this morning."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" she asked.

"It would be a shame for you to miss it and not be allowed to go to the dance. You know, being in the running for homecoming queen and all."

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Yep. You were nominated!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. Completely serious."

Lila silently thought about what she had just been told while Junior asked, "So, uh, who all was nominated for homecoming king?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, you made the list _again_."

Junior's cocky smile was wiped off his face when Amy, one of the girls from the basketball team, said "How cute would it be if you and Dan were voted queen and king?" He didn't want to think about Lila going to the dance with him. Flirting with him over dinner, snuggling with him on the ride there, rubbing against him as they danced. He shook the thoughts out of his head as the bell rang.

* * *

Junior sat in his seat and scowled as he watched Lila and Dan out on the dance floor. She looked amazing in a slinky red sparkly dress. It was a shame she wasted it by coming with him.

"Junior, do you want to dance?" a perky blonde asked. He shook his head and she walked away angry. In a way he felt bad for her. He asked Nicole to be his date at the very last minute. He knew he was being an awful date, but he didn't care. How was he supposed to have fun when Lila was out there with Dan?

As the song ended, the DJ's voice overcame the room. "And now ladies and gentleman," he said. "It is time to announce your homecoming queen and king!" The dance floor cleared and his group of friends made their way back to the table where he was sitting. The DJ stood in the middle of the floor with two small white envelopes in his hand. Standing next to him was the senior class president holding a pillow with two crowns resting on it.

"Your homecoming queen is," he said, pausing as he opened the first envelope. "Lila Bolton!" Lila and Emma squealed next to him and Lila walked out to receive her bouquet of roses and be crowned queen. Once she had her sash on and her crown perched on top of her head, the DJ moved on to the second envelope. "And the East High homecoming King is…" Junior inwardly groaned. He did not want to sit there while she and Dan danced together under the spotlight. "Junior Danforth!"

A hand on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts. "Dude, that's you!" Landon said to him.

"Wait, what?" Junior asked standing up slowly. Did he really just hear his name?

"Go!" Landon gave him a small shove and he joined Lila in the center of the floor and leaned over for his crown to be placed on his head.

"Now your king and queen will share the spotlight dance," the DJ said and slow music started to play. Emma walked out to the floor and took the bouquet of roses from Lila.

Lila turned to Junior with a small smile on her face. They awkwardly wrapped their arms around each other and began to dance.

"Congratulations," Junior said after a few moments of silence. "You deserve it. You look amazing tonight."

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself. Although you could have tamed your hair a bit," she joked. She took one hand and ruffled his curls for effect.

"No way! You know you love the 'fro. It's part of my charm."

"Whatever you say."

"So, how pissed do you think the cheerleaders are that they got beat out by a sporty girl?"

She threw her head back and laughed. She couldn't stand the cheerleaders and he knew it. "Who cares?" she asked.

Other couples began to fill the dance floor and Junior felt a hand on his shoulder. Much to his dismay, when he looked at the owner of the hand he found himself face to face with Dan.

"Mind if I cut in?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, actually I do," Junior said.

Lila placed a hand on his arm. "It's okay," she said. "I'll talk to you in a little bit, okay?"

Junior sighed and nodded. He walked out of the gym and across the lawn to the big stone fountain in front of the school. A few minutes later, voiced on the other side of the fountain pulled him from his thoughts.

"Are you having a good time?" the girl said. He recognized it as Lila's voice.

"I'm having a great time," Dan replied. The footsteps stopped and Junior figured they sat on the other side of the fountain.

"I'm glad," Lila said.

"I know a way we could make it even better," Dan said and Junior's stomach flipped, knowing what he meant.

"Oh, yeah?" Lila asked.

"You want to get out of here? We could go back to my place. My parents are out of town for the weekend."

"The dance isn't over yet. I'm having fun here."

"Well, we can go when it's over."

"No, thanks."

"Lila, we've been talking for what, a couple months now? Don't you think it's time to take the next step?"

"No, Dan, I don't."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not interested."

"Why?" he insisted.

"To be honest," Lila said, beginning to get annoyed. "I don't like you that way." Junior's mood lifted. She didn't like him!

"So why the hell are you even here with me?" He didn't like the way this was going.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business, but the guy I like isn't interested in me and I didn't want to go to homecoming alone."

"So you've just been leading me on this whole time?" Dan asked angrily.

"Leading you on? Dan, what have I ever done to make you think I was into you? We've never done anything but talk."

"That can change," he growled.

"Ouch! Dan, let me go!" Junior heard Lila exclaim, her voice and a pair of heavy footsteps coming towards him. His blood boiled to think of Dan hurting her. He sprang up from the fountain edge and into onto the sidewalk, blocking the Dan's path. Dan had a tight grip on Lila's wrist and was pulling her towards the parking lot.

"Let her go," Junior demanded.

"Move aside, Danforth," Dan said. "This doesn't concern you."

"Let her go," Junior repeated. "I'm not going to say it again."

Dan ignored him and pulled Lila to the side to walk around him. In one swift move, Junior grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding onto Lila and twisted it backwards, causing Dan to let go of her arm. He dropped Dan's wrist and punched him. Dan reeled back and held his nose, which was gushing blood.

"Touch her again and I'll kill you," Junior warned before wrapping an arm around Lila's shoulders and leading her away. They walked around the side of the school to the football field and sat on the bleachers in silence. His arm was draped on her shoulders and her head was leaning on his.

Lila finally broke the silence. "Thanks," she said simply, lifting her head to look at him.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked down on her. Vulnerability was something he had never seen in her before. She was absolutely beautiful. He smiled softly and nodded, unable to produce any words. His gaze traveled down to her mouth. Rational thought flew out the window as his body took over. He lightly licked his lips, closed his eyes and slowly leaned towards her.

Lila's heart skipped a beat. What she had been dreaming about for years was about to happen. She closed her eyes in anticipation. Her wishes were about to come true, even if he was going to regret it in the morning. Her heart sank as realization dawned on her. Even though this is what she wanted for as long as she could remember, he _would_ regret it in the morning. Things could get weird between them. She couldn't let that happen.

"You really are my knight in shining armor," she whispered when their lips were only millimeters apart. With her eyes still closed, she smiled softly at him.

He opened his eyes. "Well, at least I'm good for something," he said. He paused, unsure of what to do before he added, "You want to get back inside?"

Lila sighed and opened her eyes. "Yeah, we'd better. Everyone is probably wondering where their king and queen are."

* * *

Monday morning, Junior, Lila, Emma and Landon were walking through the halls to class when they passed Dan. Emma and Landon watched as Lila ducked her head when they made eye contact and Junior put a protective arm around Lila's shoulders shooting Dan a warning glare that wiped the cocky smirk off his face.

"What was that about?" Landon asked.

"Nothing," Junior muttered.

"Lila?" Emma said giving her a questioning look.

"Yeah, nothing," Lila agreed softly as they reached the door of her classroom. "I'll see you guys later."

Junior smiled and gave her shoulders a little squeeze. "See you later," they said.


End file.
